Nomination for best towcar of yesteryear

[Danny_5134221]

After reading and replying to a topic by Frank my mind started to think about all the old cars that used to pull caravans years ago.

A friend of mines dad has been caravaning for longer than I have been alive and has towed with many varied cars over the years. Talking to him once we got onto the subject of " best ever car towed with "

He told me that his best car for towing was an Austin Westminster closely followed my a Triumph 2500 PI, he claims that these old girls would pull a van up the side of a mountain with no wheels on !

Also in our conversation he mentioned about the fact that I had a large 4x4, muttering away he said, " I've been towing for over 40 years and have never needed one of those yet, nowadys all you see is 4x4's, why ? "

So my nomination is going to be the Triumph, good towcar and hard as nails for banger racing !

 

[cooky1]

Triumph 2500PI - what a great car and it sounded fantastic too.

Graeme.

 

[Lutz]

Leaving big luxury saloons aside, my vote goes to the Riley 2.6 of 1957. With a kerbweight of over 3600lb and over 100hp it must be quite well qualified.

 

[Guest]

My vote has to go to the Ford Granada Mark 1, that of Sweeny fame. 3 litres of Essex engine, rear wheel drive and especially in estate version, huge storage. The only downside was never passing fuel stations.

 

[Val & Frank]

My vote goes to the Austin Maxi 1800 it was a really nice car and automatic to.

Val & Frank

 

[Heidi_374226052]

Hiya,my vote is split between two,

1,My Dads Fiat 2300,1965.Pulled our Major like a train,every summer down to Devon for the whole of the school hols.

2,My 1953 Chevy half tonne pickup with 350ci small block.

Slightly modded with 275hp and 300ft/lb of torque.

Pulls my Vendee like its not there! (not very often @ 12mpg)

Heidis Hubby

 

[emmerson2]

Towcar of yesteryear for me was undoubtedly the last of the D series Citroens, the DS23 Safari. Yes I know they were front wheel drive, but the oleo-pneumatic suspension kept the weight where it was needed. For today, my beloved Classic Range Rover.

 

[BeemerMal]

I started towing in the mid 1970s and my Cortina was a bit aged so we bought a 2nd hand Volvo 164. Actually we only bought it because it had a tow bar already fitted! This proved an excellent choice, as Volvo's are today. We used it for many years without any problems at all.

Compare this to our next car - a Rover 2600 SD1 - this was the worst decision we ever made...nothing but trouble with the alloy head warping if the engine temp went slightly above normal.

The irony is that a friend bought our Volvo and he was still towing with it, well into the mid Eighties, long after we had parted company with the Rover.

 

[cris_408518]

Volvo Amazon has to be an old favourite, before my towing time started but my Swedish friends dad had one for his first caravan and the bought one of the last bigger engined ones (68/69 vintage).

He never wanted to give it up, so he didn't.

As far as I know it will be back in use this summer the same as last.

 

[Angus1]

Best oldie I towed with was an MG Maestro EFI.

Like sitting in a greenhouse, wide track, stiff suspension, virtually no overhang and a strong torquey engine that pulled like a diesel. Used to rev like one as well, but oodles of space and easy for the better half to pilot as well.

 

[ProfJohnL]

Hello Emmerson,

Self leveling suspension or the citroen system does nothing to change the weight distribution between the wheels, it only stiffens or relaxes the suspension to change the attitude of the vehicle.

 

[Lol1]

Best oldie I towed with was an MG Maestro EFI.

Like sitting in a greenhouse, wide track, stiff suspension, virtually no overhang and a strong torquey engine that pulled like a diesel. Used to rev like one as well, but oodles of space and easy for the better half to pilot as well.

A lot to be said for the old Maestro, Angus. Maybe not the ultimate tow car, but for the reasons you have already mentioned a good all rounder. Even the lady telling you to put your seat belt on, aided my future marriage. Incidentally, I had the 1.6 twin carb, not the two litre, lusted after the turbo though, despite the pasting it got in the press.

 

[CliveV]

I also loved that straight six triumph engine - first was in a GT6 (standard 2L) that towed a small trailer with my camping gear in it to race meetings. Then I put in the 2.5L engine which meant awsome performance and interesting handling!!

Then rather odly I put a 2.5 straight six in a Stag that I was rebuilding the Triumph V8 from. It bolted straight in and was really rather good. Far better than the awfull Triumph V8 for reliability, and economy and not that bad on performance either.

 

[CliveV]

I also loved that straight six triumph engine - first was in a GT6 (standard 2L) that towed a small trailer with my camping gear in it to race meetings. Then I put in the 2.5L engine which meant awsome performance and interesting handling!!

Then rather odly I put a 2.5 straight six in a Stag that I was rebuilding the Triumph V8 from. It bolted straight in and was really rather good. Far better than the awfull Triumph V8 for reliability, and economy and not that bad on performance either.

Meant to add - all of them towed my trailer and camping gear but never a caravan.

 

[cris_408518]

I also loved that straight six triumph engine - first was in a GT6 (standard 2L) that towed a small trailer with my camping gear in it to race meetings. Then I put in the 2.5L engine which meant awsome performance and interesting handling!!

Then rather odly I put a 2.5 straight six in a Stag that I was rebuilding the Triumph V8 from. It bolted straight in and was really rather good. Far better than the awfull Triumph V8 for reliability, and economy and not that bad on performance either.

As a youngster living abroad one af my army friends was a rally driver with accces to BMC works rally equipment and had re engined GT6 with trick suspension and full roll cage. With no drink driving laws after several at our local watering hole we headed to the all night disco in the GT6 at high speed.

Sliding sideways tyres smoking into the car park as it yumped a good five foot in the air over the inwards ramp and spinning backwards on the dirt into a parking space like the stunt guy on todays motoring progs.

 

[Steve L]

My 1984 Renault 18 estate.

I used to put a 10ft dinghy on the roof rack, then a road trailer for the dinghy on top of the boat on the roof rack. And finally hook up a 14ft 1978 Cavileer caravan behind it.

The poor old gal only had a 1647cc petrol engine, but towed very well indees even up Black rock out of Abergaveny over the Heads of the vally's to Swansea.

It was my first Reanult and because of her impecable manners and reliability I've gone on to own a furthe 14 Renault's and today use a 1998 Laguna 2Ltr estate to tow my 20ft twin axle van.

Two years ago I towed the same van 1500 miles around the Scottish Highlands without a single problem, with a 1991 Renault 25 GTS 2 Ltr.

Don't think the Laguna 11 can live upto that standard though.

Steve.

 

[CliveV]

I also loved that straight six triumph engine - first was in a GT6 (standard 2L) that towed a small trailer with my camping gear in it to race meetings. Then I put in the 2.5L engine which meant awsome performance and interesting handling!!

Then rather odly I put a 2.5 straight six in a Stag that I was rebuilding the Triumph V8 from. It bolted straight in and was really rather good. Far better than the awfull Triumph V8 for reliability, and economy and not that bad on performance either.

ah yes cris - wonderful days - we got some awsome performance out of that straight six 2.5l.

And the noise!!!! - that crackle from the exhaust on the overrun and then the induction roar.

Bliss.

 

[Saladdodger]

ah yes cris - wonderful days - we got some awsome performance out of that straight six 2.5l.

And the noise!!!! - that crackle from the exhaust on the overrun and then the induction roar.

Bliss.

Did you get the Lucas injection to operate correctly.

In the 1970's I was a Triumph Muchanic (not mis-spelt) and the PI gave the most trouble in the whole dealership. Did you have an earing trumpet gadget or the doofer with a slide needle to set up the air intake butterfys?

Did you sus out why if No 1 injector blocked you would loose total power from No 6 cyl?

Oh the good old day.....

The best or nearest engine I had in those days was a 2000 straight 6 in a Mk1.

Could go on for ever about old Triumphs..

Dodger

 

[Angus1]

Best oldie I towed with was an MG Maestro EFI.

Like sitting in a greenhouse, wide track, stiff suspension, virtually no overhang and a strong torquey engine that pulled like a diesel. Used to rev like one as well, but oodles of space and easy for the better half to pilot as well.

I loved the Maestro, and when changing jobs and getting another company car parked it up for a couple of years with the intention of bringing it back to `concours` condition,

Needless to say I never got around to it, and gave it away to someone who had the time that I didn`t. Silly mistake as they`re fetching decent money now.....

 

[Saladdodger]

Clive V

What race meetings did you attend? Was it short circuit by any chance?

Dodger

 

[Saladdodger]

Clive V

What race meetings did you attend? Was it short circuit by any chance?

Dodger

Clive V

Don't mis read this question ..I guess you know I mean short circuit racing and nothing to do with electrics.

 

[emmerson2]

Hello Emmerson,

Self leveling suspension or the citroen system does nothing to change the weight distribution between the wheels, it only stiffens or relaxes the suspension to change the attitude of the vehicle.

you are of course quite right, Johnl, but what it did do was keep the car level,so it didn't lift the weight off the front wheels.

 

[spj]

Hi all,

Im afraid I am a bit of a spring chicken compared to some of you [no offence intended] as I was only born in 1971, but I did start towing a caravan in 1996 with a 1989 Ford Sierra XR4x4 2.9 V6, it did 15mpg solo and slightly less towing but filling up was a bit cheaper then, fantastic tow car and lots of fun.

spj.

 

[emmerson2]

spj, I always fancied the estate version of that, but could never find a decent one. My boss had one and his chauffer wouldn't let him drive it!

 

[Garfield]

My first tow car was a 1972 A series Manta, rear wheel drive got me out of the mud especially with the girlfreind sat on the boot lid. My 1989 Golf gti was a fantastic tow car for only 970kg stiff suspension, short rear overhang, and close ratio gearbox meant it towed in excess of 100% weight ratio with no problem, I certainly would not tow with a disco anywhere near 100%